thomson



2 SHEETS-SHEET 1.

PATENTED MAR. 1, 1881. HTHOMSON & E. J. HOUST 1/vVE/vT0ks ULATOR FORDYNAMO ELECTRIC MACHINES.

CURRENT REG I0 IOD'EL.

F IG. r.

neg.

r gas.

No. 2s8,315.

PATENTED MAR. 1 swam E. THOMSON dz E. J. HOU GURRENTIREGULATOR FORDYNAMO E '10 MODEL.

LEGTRIG MACHINES.

2 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

FIG.5.

Y/YVENTORS 25%.M-

4 a v "new halt "of the lamps-be; removed from-the PATENT OFFioEl.

" than 'r11oMsoN;aNDEDwm J;nousron, or PHILADELPHlrLPA Assumons-froAMERICAS-ELECTRIC COMPANY, on NEW BRITAIN, 001w."

1 s scmcmemma a lietterfl-P tent ma'aasisr a e e j i anplieau meq-Junro, 1880. 1 e v yza-azzwtam itjmayronfcern Be it known that weJEI'nUTHdMson and j EDWIN J .'HOUs'rori,both of thecity and county ofPhiladelphia; Pennsylvania have jointly invented certain new and usefulImprovea Movement-lot: its Commutator-Brushes; of

'i whilch the following is snchajdescript-ion as will enable ithoseskilled in Ithea'rt to] make andguse the same;

The object of our invention is to'provide im provedc means for;controlling automatically the strength of an electriccurrent ilowi'ngover chine andone or more electriclamps; orother' ;Iappliahcesthrough which the current passes, j "and; toohtainsaidfcontrollwithoutthe intro duction of resistances as-such,f andAwi-thout va r'ying'the speed or field-f of the dynamo electr'icmachine, and'atthe same time, if desired, to.

acircuit composed- 'of 'a' dynamp;electric inautilia'e therc'actionprinciple for the magnetir z'ation of said dynamo-electric machihe+orinother wor s. to causethe current generated-to 425 throughthezfield-magnet coils. 'We ac complish theseresults atgthe same timethat 7 the power expendedto drivethe'dynamo-elee trio machine variesdirec in accordance with the changed resistanceof its circuit vbeingless oa's the resistance is less, and greater as'the resistance isgreaten i 1 ussuppose, for

ing sueces'sively throughall the lamps and thr'o 'ghfthe field magremofthe machine. If theelectrical resistance ofthe circuit remains"uniformthe current willremain"unil'orini Let a circuit by switchingaround thernginlthe ordi- '1 T-narynmnnen i Theresistancel-olthoqcircuit lbeing thus rendered much less than before,the current produced willbe greatly increased, --increasing theintensity of the light from the .remainingrsix lamps, throwing; a greatstrainupon themotive powegcausedby the increased 1 ;;current due tothejtieuit beings-e fsmall reand giving to heatin goi the wire ments inthe Regulation of :Electric' Currents Developed by'a Dynamo- ElectricMachine by the :purposeoi' elucidat= ingthepi'inciples of our invention,a'dynamo electricmachine running at a constant speed 5and having'in its.circuit'twelvelamps of the arctype, the current fro'mthe machinepasscoils" ofthe machineand otherdisadvantages. If all the lamps hntonebecut out of i the aircnitthese disadvantageouseflects are enormon slyintensified from the machine running on an almost short circuit. Yet,in, practice,-

capacity-of a machine, so as either todimin cuit. The latter result-hasheretofore been cuit, in place oftheunusedlamps of equivalent modifyingthespeed of the machine, or by changing-the field-Inagnet circuit or thecurrentjtraversi'ngit; The first method," or that same powerbeye'xpended whether all or but few of the lights be used. The secondmethod is impracticable for continuous running, while the third involvesspecial construction of the itis often-desirable to reduce/thelightrg-i-vin fish the amount of light given outineach lamp Ioritoredueethe number of lamps in'the cir- "accomplished by theintroduction intothe ci'rv resistances of iron wire, or the'like, .or byof resistance substitution, requires that the (machine, or the useofapparatus which greatly "complicates the working and requires frequentadjustment of the commutator to'be made to avoid shortcircuiting. 9Inthe improved system of operation pro; vided by our presentinventi onwepossess the ability to cut-out lamp after lamp-fromqcirstrength in theremaining lamps and economy of moti ve power-proportionalto thediminished of each lamp not cut out is maintained,and an the resistanceis changed, give the same current. In our system we have employcda dynisin circuit, a similar adjustment will, when cult, and yet maintain= auniform current Q 8o resistance,while the normal light-giving powerabsence of heating ornecessity'for any other 1 euro-electric machine inwhich thecommutator is constructed of three insulated segments of a ringconnected to three armatu re-coilsl The are supported so as to bemovable around the commutator without changing the relative posltions ofthe two collectors; This movement collecting-brushesapplied to saidcommutator of the collecting-brushes isnwell known'in the. art-f Figure1 shows a commutator consisting of three insulated segments,K, K and K,and

i supposedly attached 'to the armature-coilsin j accordance wit-houriformer inventions.- -Bearing uponthe'commutator-segments, andparallel and opposite to each other, are two strips of metal, C, forconducting 'ofi the current ID from the segments, and called,commu-ta'tor' collecting-brushes. -=--Tlie slottbetweeiioi'. step??arating two segments, K. K", is made at an oblique angle, as shown. Whenthe two ends ofa slot are angularlydisplaced with respect to each othertwenty to thirty degrees circumfe'rentially around the commutator, asingle pair of collecting-brushes are used, the planes of which aretangent-to the circumference of the commutator at opposite points andparallel to each other, as before stated.- These collecting-brushesaresupported on a bar, BB, Fig. 1, moving concentricallywith the centerof the commutator, and enabling the collectors O O to be placed indifierentpositions relatively to the commutator-segments while stillremaining in the same positions relatively to each other. The ends ofthe barB B describe the arcs shown in the dotted lines. The supposeddirection of revolution of the commuta- 0 tor is shown by the arrow. Thecollectors G G are mounted so as to be insulated from. each other, andthe current discharged into said collectors from the armature-coils and,segments K, I andK, attached to them, passes from said collectors to thecoils of field-magnets of the machine, (indicated by.,M M,) and I thencealso into the circuit of the lamps, six of which are indicated as '1, 2,3, 4, and 6. At each lamp isplaced a switch,-s, by hich. any of them maybe shunted around or cut out of the circuit. When thesixlamps are beingused the-collectors O G are adjusted to theproper position'as to absenceof spark and, other irregularities,and to carry offthe current .ot' thenormal working strength. Supposing now that three of the switches beelosed,so as to remove half the number of lamps, a'movement of thecommutator-collectors C C forwardin the direction of revolutionofthecommntator o restores the current to its former working strength,and, eventhough all the, lamps but one be switched from the circuit, wefind that a similar movement may be given to the dollcctors, and thatthey may be set in such'position as to discharge into the circuit acurrent of only the normal working strength. Any number of lamps incircuit may thus be put out ot use and a position of thecommutatorcollectors found which will restore the normal currentstrength. 1

\Ve are aware that in theoperation ofcomiuutators of. the Pacinottitype, such as the Gramme, Siemens, and the like, where the coils on thearmature are numerous and connected in closedcircuit end to end, amovement forward 'withf-three branches results from thc'faet that.

armature-coils and their corresponding segor backward of the commutatorcollectingbrushes aroundsaid commutator. from the. osition of maximumefl'ect, or the position when the commuator-segments ,thataresimultaneously in contact. with a collecting brush, are of equalpotential results indeereased current but the variation of the currentso'ob'tainedis attended with damaging short' circuiting 1ofr the coilsof the armature-a. fact well known in the-operation of.suchcommutatorswhen the, 7 position of equal potential mentionedis not "msfmsmeut rnoursystem suit penc l-ru of thearma-turecoils is prevented,

. WheretheanionnfiQf-sepm'ation otthe'car:

hoh electrodes or length of arcjojt the lamps 8c I used in our systemvaries with the currentstrength, increasing anddecreasin g therewith, weare enabled, sinrply by changing the pos-i- 4 tion of thecommutatorcollecting-brushes,to

vary. the amouriteot current passing through 8; the lamps, and hencetheir IightgiVingpoWer,

In practice,therefore, by a simple movement of thecommutator-collectorsO'C, weare enabled to turn upJor down the lights inthe eir-. euit. on in the direction of the-arrow; Fig. 1, di-" minishesthe current-producing power of-the machine, while motion in theopposite-direc- I 'tion increases it, These results are accom-m vplished with a consumption of power depending on the electro-moti'veforce of the current produced and without short-circuiting any of thearmature-coils. -We are not aware these results, unattended byinjnrious'eflects, suchas waste of power and short-circniting, have ever beforebeen realized.'; 1; 't'

"Theprinciple upon which our system-is L .foundcd' is. substantially asffOllOWS: During revolution the'commutator-segments have po- 1 sitionsone hundred and eighty degrees from each-other, of maximum positive.ahdmagtt mum negativepolarity respectively. \Vhen'the ,collectorsOU-areset for the nofinal current with-the total number of lamps in circuit,the segments K K ,K'- will break'contact with positions of maximumelectromotive force; On removing some of th-elampsfrom 'the,cir-

cnitthe current is increased, but may be re- 9 by a simple motionforwardof the commu tater-collectors in an armaturecoil system for the majorpart of the revolution but two ments, as K and K, are in connection withsaid brushes the'electro-motive force 01" the current produced in thearmature being, when 1 'both armature-eoils-as those attached-toK 4 0'and K, respectively-are acting in the same direction to producecurrent,- the sum of their A motioninjhe direction of revolution, c

. y no the collectorsG C shortly at'ter'passing their eleetromotiveforces," In thisf latter case the segmcut,as K, may leave thecollecting-brush 0, even after the armature-coil togqne termi-] nal ofwhich said segment is attached has passed beyond the neutral point,thecurrent in ;;0 said coil'being prevented from reversing at theneutralpoint by the superior elcctro-"motive force of theotherarmature-coil with which,

' for the time, it is 'conjointly acting, asthat ar mature-coil oneterminalof which is attached 1 to K.,- The moments when all threesegments 1 and their corresponding armature-.coilsare simultaneously indirect contact with the col-' lectingbrushes correspond to the timeswhen either of the collecting-brushes G G is over-a chines," whichmethod is adaptable to the pres- When asingie ent case of currentregulation. pair of commutatorcollectors, O G, are employed with aninclined or augularly-slotted commutator, as hcrcinbefore mentioned, the

current of the machine is caused to traverse an ele'ctro-ma'gnet, thevariati'ons in the power pf-which current and magnet either directly orindirectly serve to'etfec't the adjustment of the" commutator-collectorswith or without cen'trif ugal regulationin a similar'way to that'shownand described inPatent No. 223,659, before referred to. Theregulation ofthecurrentstrength is readily obtained by causing the main current ofthe machine, or a shunted portion thereof, to traverse anelectromagnetic controlling dc vice, operating to'tlirow into or out of'action an electromagnet or equivalent motor device, which, in turn,imparts motion to the commu sufiicient in power to maintain the numberof 8 2c, slotbetwecn any ,twoscgmcnts'. At this mo 5 ment a transfer ofthe current takes place from t-hecoiland segmehh'leaving the com;mutator brush to the succeeding-coil-and segmentcoming intocontactthcrewith, which 2 5 transferis repeated at every slot in thecommutator. This transfer occupies anappreciable tiuie,and the currentproduced isdue to the resultant action between the coils iu-their vmaximum position operating'in conjunction v with coils that have eitherpassed or have i not attained that positioniwhen in circuitwiththecollect rs .C CC

' Wehai" hereinbeforedescribed our method of regulating the strength ofthe current trave'rsing the circuit by a movement of the commutator'collecting-brushes,so that whatever he the number-of lamps inthe circuit, up to the maximunnth'e normalcurrent strength may beobtained; but as inipractice' the lamps are gen- ),0 "erally at adistance, from" the dynamo-electric machine furnishing the current,v andas the switchingout of circuit of one or more of the lamps wouldnecessitate an adjustment of the commutator-brushes, as beforedescribed, we 5 prefer to effect said adj ustmcntautomaticall y andwithout the introduction .of-r resistancecoils; and maintain,notwit-hstandihg changes in the number of lamps used upon the circuit, apractically uniform current-strength with ,50 outrequiring theattendance-of the operator. We find in practice, moreovcr,-'that weobtain with thisautomatic regulation of the current strengthanindcpendeuce of speed-variations, in the machine-it being onlynecessary to l adjust the speed of running that when the speed is at itslowcst'the machine shall yet be tator collecting-brushes. --As in ourformer in, 'vention, already referred to, the motor device used may beadapted to move by the current,

or by the motive power, or by suitable clock-- work,orothcr mechanismadapted to bethrown o in or out of action by an electro-magnet, and rconstitutes, as before, a minor feature of, our present'system. .3011!present method of op erating, therefore, so far as it relates toautomatic regulation, is based upon the same principles of operation asour previous invention; and it consists in an improved constructionand-modeof use of theapparatus employed in PatentN'o. 223,659. i

In Fig; 2 the direct current of the machine is conveyed through thecoilsof the eleetro-inag net D, placed in the circuit of the machiheat anyconvenient point. Its armature E is suit ably supported so as tobemovable to and from the electro-magnet, as by the leverF, andheld to 5away from the magnet by an adjustable spring, a Z. Twoeontact-pieces,pq,are provided, adapted to be closed or opened bymovements of the lever F, due to variations in the power of theelectro-magnet Dfollowing changes in the our: 1 1o rent The,contact-pieces p q serve as a shunt of small resistance or short circuitaround an electromagnetic coil, G, provided with a movable core, H,suitably supported in the axis ofthe coil. The core'H is hunghpon alever, L, connected by a rod, R, with the swinging bar .B B of thecommutator collecting-brushes, a

.dashpot, J, being provided to prevent too sudden and violent motionsofthe levers Variations in the magnetic pull of the] coil Gnpon its ironcore H, opposed by the action of spring S, orequivalentcouuterbalancewci"ht; iinfl parts motions to said core,whieh motionsare; in turn, imparted. by the rod R't'o'tfie supports of theco'nmutator 'collecting' 'brushes O O",

thus varying their position with respect to the segmentsof thecommutator. I

The'mode of operation is substantially as follows: The cutting out ofone or more lamps from the circuit of the machine,or an increase in r3'0 the speed ol' rotationof the latter, causes acorresponding increasein the'current traversing "lights platen in ithiltircuits. We aretherefore. able to operate successfully under-conditions 6o of'motivepower variations that have hitherto been" recognized as fatal tosteadinessof light obtained; l r In United States Patent No. 223,659, January 20, 1880, before referred to-, we,have de- 6 5 scribed a means ofautomatically adjusting the commutator-collectors of dynamo-electricmathe circuit of which the coils of theelectro-magnet D form a part, anda necessity for rcadj ust ment of the commutator-brushes to prevent acontinued increased current and sparks atthe commutator. The iucreasedattraction u pon the armature E,opposed by the spring Z, opensthe contacts 19 q, diverting the current of the.

machine through the coil G, which, in attracting its core H, read j uststhe collecting-brushes i3 u',"tirus bringing" thcl'current strengthagain to the normal, at which moment the armature E is released by themagnet D, and the contacts p q are again closed, and are ready to allowthe same action to be repeated on a further increase of currentstrength. On the de crease in the current strength, due to any cause,the armature E not being attracted suf- 'ficiently to open the contactsp q, the current is diverted through them from the coil G,which, failingto attract its core H, a counteractingspring, S, moves thecommutator-collectors C i i, so asto increase the current or raise it tothe normal. A dash-pot, J, with oil or glycerine, prevents violentmotions of the lever L, and during normal action av sufiicient number ofmakes and breaks at'the contacts 1) (1 occur to maintain the current atits properstrength, and the collectors C 0' in their proper position tomaintain that strength and avoid injurious bu rning. Anautomaticreadjustment of posilien is thus made to follow ever'y removalof a lamp rum or int'rqrl ction intg thecircuit.. N

Fig. 3 is a plan of the parts shown in Fig'f2, the parts visible in saidplan being designated by similar letters to those in Fig. 2, asdescribed.

In Fig. 2 the various parts are shown as oocupying positions separatefrom one another;

but in practice we sometimes combine themo-' .1 or-coil G and-core II,withthe rod It, dash-pot J, and spring S, into a single compact device.This combined device forms the subject of a separate application forLetters Patent.

The magnet D and armature E, Fig. 2, in stead of acting to open andclose contacts 1) q,

may serve to throw in or out of action a me--' chanical motor device bymovements imparted to a friction-clutch or its equivalent. In this casethe power which moves the commutatorcol lcctors or brushes is obtainedeither directly from the rotary motion of the machine, or by clock workor other suitable mechanism thrown in or out of action by variations inthe strength of the current traversing themagnet D. As a type of thismodified use of the controlling electro-magnet I) we refer to Fig. 5.The coils of the.elcctro-nmgnct l) are,-as before, placed in anyconvenient part ofthe circuit of the ma-. whine. The ari'nature E ismounted upon a-lecl, 1 suitably supported and free to move.

support B B of the commutators.

The lever F bears a roller, R, against which 60 hangs the red It;attached to the swinging Held by a spring, Z, away from the magnet D,the armature E is fre to respond to variations of its attraction. T erod R is suitably guided. and'6 attached to B B by a doublejoint orlink. A wheel or roller, W, rotated in the direction of the arrow by anysuitable means, is placed at a small interval from the rod it, as shown,so that the rod R is almost 'a. tangent thereto. 70 A band of rubberpreferably surrounds the edge of thewheel W. The remaining parts,S, B B,and O G, are as in Fig/2, and serve the same functions.

The operation is essentially as follows: On an abnormal increase-of thecurrent strength the magnet D attracts its armature E, and so moves thelever]? as to throw the rod R against theperiphery of the rotating wheelW. The friction of the wheel W upon the rod B so produced results in amovement of the rod R and the parts to which it is attached against theelastic force of the spring S, resulting in a readjustment of thecollectors G O, as lit-cin-v before described. A corresponding decreasein the current strength, and release of the armature E, the rod It beingthrown out of frictional contact with the wheel W by the spring Z, isfollowed by a readjustment in the contrary direction by the action ofthe spring S. Inpraetice, a position of' eq u i libriu m is soonattained between the counteriitihginfiuenes,

such as to maintain the current at a practi cally normal workingstrength.

\Ve claim- 1. In acurrent-regulator for a dy name-electric machine, thecombination of a device responding to changes in the main or generatedcurrent, a shifting commutator for said machine, and mechanismcontrolled by said reioo sponsive device to shift the commutator tothose positions where the currenttaken up by said commutator shall beconstant.

2. In a current-regulator for a dynamo-electric machine, anelectromagnetic device acted r05" upon 'by variations in the main orgenerated current, an adjustable or shifting commutator for the machine,and mechanism controlled by said electro-magnetiedevice to adjust thecommutator to those positions where the main or no."

generated current taken up by said commutator shall be constant.

ELIHU THOMSON."

EDWIN-J. HOUSTON.

Witnesses: Y

FREDK. F. Cnnrsrrnn, Geo; I. Brena.

- Correction in Letters; Patent No. 238,315.

It is hereby certified that in Letters Patent N o. 238,315, grantedMarch 1 1881, np'on the application of Elihu Thomson and Edwin 5.Houston, of Philadelphia, Penn; sylvania, for an improvement in CurrentRegulators for Dynamo-electric Machines,

" an error appears requiring correction as follows: The drawings forminga part of said patent should have been corrected, as directed by thepatentees in an amendment and drawing duly filed before the issue of thepa-tent,by erasing the short line showing connection of the electro-lnagnet D-with line running to the brush 0 and connected instead to wireleading from magnet G; that with such correction figures 2;a nd 3 of thedrefiigs wouldizhve appeared as'upon tlie'sh'eet hereto atteicliednierked3; and that the drawings and the patent should be read as hereinset forth to make the same conform 'to the record of the case in thePatent Office.

Signed, countersigned, andseale'd this 9th d'a'y of October, A. D. 1883.

'[sm Y M. L. JosLYN, Acting Semetarg of the Interior.

Gountersigned:

E. M. MARBLE, v

Commissioner of Patents;

\ Countersigned:

UIOI'I'GCIIOH m Letters} Jatent No. 238;,315.

It is hereby certified that in Letters Patent No.'238,315, granted March1 1881, upon the application of Elihu Thomson and Edwin J. Hou'ston, ofPhiladelphia, Penn; sylvania, for an imprm'ement in Current Regulatorsfor Dynamo-electric Machines,

" an error appears requiring correction as follows: The drawings forminga, part of said patent should have been corrected, as directed by thepatentees in an amendment and v drawing duly filed before the issue ofthe patent, by' erasing the short line s'howin connection of theelectro-magnet D-with line running to the brush 0' and connected linstead vto wire leading from in'agnet G; that with such correctionfigures 2i a nd 3 of -the d rosiigs wonldhve appearedas'upon the sheethietoatmiidiiiark de; and

' that thedrawings and the'potent should be read as herein set forth tomake the some conform to the of the-case in the Patent 'Qflice.

I Signed,eountersigned, andiseald this 9th d'a'y of October, A D. 1883.[SEALJ v M. L. JOSLYN,

- E.- M. MARBLE,

Commissioner'of Patents;

Acting Secretary of the Interior.

\ Countersigned:

UIOI'I'GCIIOH m Letters} Jatent No. 238;,315.

It is hereby certified that in Letters Patent No.'238,315, granted March1 1881, upon the application of Elihu Thomson and Edwin J. Hou'ston, ofPhiladelphia, Penn; sylvania, for an imprm'ement in Current Regulatorsfor Dynamo-electric Machines,

" an error appears requiring correction as follows: The drawings forminga, part of said patent should have been corrected, as directed by thepatentees in an amendment and v drawing duly filed before the issue ofthe patent, by' erasing the short line s'howin connection of theelectro-magnet D-with line running to the brush 0' and connected linstead vto wire leading from in'agnet G; that with such correctionfigures 2i a nd 3 of -the d rosiigs wonldhve appearedas'upon the sheethietoatmiidiiiark de; and

' that thedrawings and the'potent should be read as herein set forth tomake the some conform to the of the-case in the Patent 'Qflice.

I Signed,eountersigned, andiseald this 9th d'a'y of October, A D. 1883.[SEALJ v M. L. JOSLYN,

- E.- M. MARBLE,

Commissioner'of Patents;

Acting Secretary of the Interior.

